


Memories

by pen0fevil



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Body Worship, Clothed Sex, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, Multiple Orgasms, Oral Sex, Reader-Insert, Rough Sex, Roughness, Smut, Tags May Change, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-09-05
Packaged: 2019-03-31 06:58:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13969737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pen0fevil/pseuds/pen0fevil
Summary: After an accident, you lost your memories. You don't remember anything about yourself, or your friends, or even the accident that stole all of these away from you. Gladiolus hasn't left your side since it happened, trying to help you regain what you lost, but maybe there's a reason he's so adamant you get your old memories back.





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Written in response to [This](https://hornyoldmoogle.tumblr.com/post/168210060318/im-in-the-mood-for-some-feels-how-do-you-think) post on Tumblr, and because I couldn't shake the idea out of my head. Hope you all enjoy o7

The last thing you remember before the light vanished was a face. His face... was it it a he? was etched with fear, and panic, and concern. You reached up a hand, trying to smile, trying to soothe him even as his mouth moved. He was trying to talk to you, but the blood rushing in your ears was deafening. 

Whatever words he said went unheard, and it made him all the more distressed when your hand fell away from his stubbled chin. He shook you in his arms - when did he pick you up to carry you? - and your eyes drifted shut. You were so tired, just a few moments more of sleep, please...

"Don't close your eyes!"

You force them open again, smiling weakly. "Sorry..." You murmur, trying to raise your hand but too tired to do so. "Just too sleepy."

"I know! I know, but you have to keep your eyes open. Come on! Hey, lemme see those gorgeous eyes," he shook you again, your head falling back. Everything was greying out, darkness eating at the edges of your vision and rapidly shrinking your world into a small circle of awareness. 

"Hey, don't do this! Hey!"

You lost your battle with sleep, and the world rolled you under into the welcoming darkness.

======

"There was significant head trauma."

_Head... trauma? What head trauma?_

"We were able to stabilize her but until she regains consciousness, there's no telling what damage was done."

You had been sleeping just a few moments before, a dream of feathers and red-amber eyes, safe and comfortable and warm... now it was cold. The air didn't smell right, sterilized and the soft whirr and click of an air filter working in a corner somewhere. Everything was sore, your head aching as you started sitting up. 

"Don't--" You felt someone put a hand on your shoulder, trying to gently if firmly push you back to the bed. 

Your eyes open, and you realize with a jolt you're not in your room. You don't even know where you are; surrounded by four dour-looking men and a fifth in a labcoat. A doctor? Was this.. a hospital? The fourth man, tattoo'd, muscled and the closest one to you, was the one trying to push you back.

"Don't touch me!" You hiss at him, jerking away from his hand and feeling a stabbing pain in your head. Your reached up, holding your head in your hands as that insistant grip was back on your arms trying to pull your hands away from your face.

"What's wrong--" 

"Let me go!" You lashed your hand out, yanking away from him and nearly falling out of the bed. If the doctor hadn't come to your side, you probably would have. He steadied you, speaking quietly as he held a pen up before your eyes.

"I need you to follow this with your eyes. Watch me." You turned to the doctor, watching as the tattoo'd man hesitantly pulled his hand back and stared at the side of your face. He had a look of consternation, eyes narrowed as if he didn't understand why you reacted as you did.

"Good." The doctor said as your eyes tracked the pen. "Do you know what day it is?"

You looked away, brows drawn together. What day was it, anyway? After a moment, your expression changed, replaced by fear as you looked up at the doctor. "I don't... I don't know."

"Do you know where you are?"

"A... a hospital, I think?"

"Yes, that's right. But where is this hospital?" The doctor's words were gentle, even as his face fell. He was doing his best not to scare you, but now that the little worm of doubt was there, all you could feel was a cold wave of dread.

"I don't know," you finally answered. You couldn't look at the doctor anymore, or the men gathered around your bed. 

"What seems to be wrong with her, doctor?" The bespectacled blonde asked, coming to stand beside your physician. "Is it, temporary?"

The doctor ignored him a moment more, focused completely on you as his face was set with a grim expression. "One more question. Do you feel up to it?" He had a hand on your shoulder, drawing your attention to him even as you began to panic. 

"Yes?" You could feel your heart pounding, your mind racing to pull up memories that just... weren't there. It was blank. You knew places, you knew things, but whenever you tried to remember details about yourself...

It was just a void, leaving you empty.

"Do you remember your name?"

And there it was, like a lightning strike of pain. Nothing was there, no name, no memories. Just a blank slate. You stared up at the doctor, tears welling up at the corner of your eyes as panic set in. "No. No, I don't."

"What is this?" The tattoo'd man who had been sitting silently beside you before, watching and scowling was suddenly standing. The chair had been knocked back when he stood so abruptly, leaning over the bed with his knuckles pressed into the mattress. "You said she was stable!"

"And she is stable," the doctor replied, picking up your chart and making several notations. "But I also said, there was significant head trauma. She suffered a brain injury, and there is no telling the extent of the damage until the patient wakes." He looked down at you again, and suddenly the pain in your head was too severe to bear. 

"You were supposed to fix her!" Tattoos was suddenly striding around the bed, coming towards the doctor as the shorter, more athletic black-haired man and the smaller blonde did their best to hold him back.

"This isn't the time big guy! Its not his fault!"

"Gladio! C'mon, don't do this in front of her!" The blonde pleaded, trying to maneuver him to the door. "Not right now, buddy! She needs you!" 

The pounding in your head got worse, glasses and spiky hair managing to get the big tattoo'd guy out the door even as he was shouting at the doctor. The doctor himself was bent over you, shining a light into your eyes and making a few more notes. "I'll send a nurse in to give you something to help you relax. You should rest."

The doctor spoke to the blonde once more before he left, but between the pounding in your head and the fact he was actively keeping his voice low, you missed whatever was said. 

For a few blissful seconds you thought you were finally alone, finally able to try and process what was happening, and you let yourself crack. You drew your knees up, hugging them to your chest and burying your face in your arms as the first shaking sob wracked your body.

You didn't know how long you'd been crying when you felt a hand on your shoulder. The unexpected touch made you jump, and you yanked your head up to see who in the hell couldn't give you one moment of peace.

"Hey," Tattoos said, trying to smile... but you could see the hurt in his eyes. The way you'd flinched when he'd touched you, jerking away from his touch. "You... you doin' okay?"

"No," you snarled back, pulling away from him to the other edge of the bed. He was sitting there, right beside you, like you knew him. But... maybe you did you know him, though? Or maybe he was the one that did this to you. 

The raw hurt on his face was almost as painful as the pounding in your head, and for a moment you thought you saw something pass behind his eyes. There was a twinge, a moment of regret passed over you as you found the tension suddenly drained from your shoulders. 

For a moment it looked like he wanted to reach out and touch you, his hand half up as if to move the hair from your eyes... but he thought better of it, and dropped his hand to the bed. "Sorry... dumb question huh?" He forced a laugh, a deep rolling chuckle that seemed to vibrate in his chest. He sat back in the chair, watching you quietly as you slowly relaxed by inches. 

"Who are you?" You finally murmur, letting your legs slide forward. You were hunched over your knees, eyes on him and watching his every move almost suspiciously... a fact he seemed to be aware of as he moved slowly to keep from spooking you. After the first few misfires, he stopped reaching for you, and instead reclined in the chair. 

"Gladiolus Amacitia." He says in that low, growling voice of his. You didn't recognize the look on his face, a strange mix of disappointment and sadness, but he continued before you could give it more thought. "We're friends. Good friends."

"Friends?" You ask, leaning forward. Your face is drawn together, trying to will your lost memories back as your eyes trace his face. They linger on his scars, then his eyes. Red amber.

"Yeah. Good friends." He emphasized again, eyes locked onto yours. 

"So you know who I was?" Your voice broke without you meaning for it to happen, moving closer to him. He had the answers, you knew he had to, and all he had to do was tell you.

"Who you are," he corrected, reaching for your face again when he saw you coming closer. You immediately drew back, avoiding his touch and watching as his hand dropped back to the mattress. "Sorry." He apologized again, finally dropping his hands to his lap. "I spoke to the doctor." He finally said after a moment, filling the silence.

"Spoke, or shouted?" You answered, drawing back in on yourself. The tension in the room was suddenly uncomfortable... and you just wanted to sleep.

"That's fair." He murmured back, blowing out a long sigh as he just watched you from his seat beside the bed. "... You look tired."

"I am."

"Want me to get the nurse?"

"I want..." You started to say you wanted to be alone, but for some reason the words caught in your throat as you watched him eyeing you from the otherside of the bed. "... I want to sleep." You finally finished, sliding lower into the bed until you were laying down. You rolled over on your side, bunching the thin blankets around you almost like a shield. It was cold in the room, and you just wanted to hide.

You waited to hear him leave, to hear his boots scraping on the floor... but as long as you forced your eyes open, there was nothing but his breathing from the other side of the room.


	2. Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I wrote alot of this all at once so lol

_Don't close your eyes!_

Your eyes snapped open as you bolted upright, hand going up to your head as that stabbing pain came back with a vengeance. You didn't think you'd fallen asleep, but you must have; the last thing you'd seen in the dream was a flash of feathers and the screech of a griffon, claws outstretched. Your heart was thundering in your chest, and for a moment you forgot where you were.

"Bad dream?"

You turn your head, and Gladio is still there; it doesn't look like he's so much as shifted from the position he'd had when your eyes finally gave in to sleep.

"I think so," you murmur back, rubbing your face. You couldn't shake the memory of the bird in your dream, rushing towards you in a whirlwind of feathers. 

"The doctor said that could happen. Your head trying to wrap itself around what happened to you." He got up, stretching as he walked to the door. "I'll go get him, or a nurse."

"Wait," you called out to him, clutching at the blankets as they pooled around you. He stopped at the door, hand on the frame as he turned to look back at you with a hopeful look on his face. Caught in those red-amber eyes you froze for a moment, brows drawn together. Why did you feel like you were missing something important? Why did it feel like you should have said something else? 

While you were having this internal struggle, the squabbling thoughts and tangled up emotions bashing into eachother again and again, you felt your face tense up in a frown. When your expression changed, his fell into one of concern.

"Still got a headache?" He asked quietly, turning away from the door and coming back to stand beside you, leaning down to gently touch your face. He'd caught you off guard, and the moment you felt his fingers brush your temple you drew back and pushed the hand away. 

"Stop," you managed to growl, retreating to the far side of the bed. He pulled his hand back almost like he'd been burned, and you touched your head where you'd felt his fingers huddled in your safe cocoon of blankets. 

He stood there a few moments longer, just watching you with that awkwardly pained look on his face before turning back to the door. "I'll be right back." He murmured quietly, before hurrying out into the hall. The door shut with a click behind him and you were left once again by yourself and your forgotten memories.

You wanted to find a mirror, to see how bad the damage was, but even as you put your feet to the floor you felt weak. Maybe standing just now wasn't the best idea...

You sat there on the edge of a bed for a solid minute and a half when the Doctor pushed the door open with a knock to announce his presence. You turned, hands in your lap as he pulled up a chair to sit in front of you. "You shouldn't be moving so much yet. Not without supervision." He said in that forceful-but-gentle tone doctors use on particularly stubborn patients.

He did what you were slowly realizing was routine when he came to check on you; your pulse and blood pressure, checking the reactivity of your eyes while asking a few gentle questions. "How'd you sleep? Gladiolus mentioned you were still experiencing a headache." 

As if on cue the man came to stand in the doorway, filling the space with his bulk and giving you space with the doctor on the otherside of the room. It was... distracting. You didn't like him at your back, not with how odd he'd acted since you woke up, but the thought of him leaving the room made something tighten up in your gut uncomfortably.

"Y-yeah." You mumble, looking down as the doctor made another note on your chart. 

"I'll get you in for another scan now that you're conscious and cognizant. Hopefully some things have cleared up, and we can get a better picture how to proceed."

"Hopefully?" Gladio asked, folding his arms as he leaned into the door frame. He was brooding. Why was he brooding? It wasn't his head screwing up. It wasn't his memories that deserted him.

"The brain's a complicated thing," the doctor said without looking at the man. It seemed he was tired of arguing with Gladio, and was repeating himself for the umpteenth time. "As the swelling goes down, things might straighten out. Memory could come back in bits, or pieces, and we'll work to get it restored as quickly as we can. But," the doctor seemed to be talking to just you now, taking your hands in his and squeezing to draw your attention back to his face. 

"But. You need to be prepared if you don't get them back. The trauma might have been worse than we thought, and the memories inaccessible. Stress is a factor." He turned to look at Gladio with a frown set to his mouth. "We will do everything we can, but there isn't a guaranteed fix when it comes to the brain."

You felt your heart freeze in your chest, frowning. Never get them back? Never? "What... what are we going to do?" You finally ask, keeping the tears back as best you could. Something must have been in your voice, because you could hear Gladio stepping away from the door, walking towards you on the bed and the Doctor in the chair.

"There's a few therapies we could try. We'll go over your recommended diet; the extent of your memory loss is troubling, and I'd like you to stay here until we've got it sorted. Atleast for alittle while."

"She's got a home." Gladio said, almost through clenched teeth. You fought the urge to turn and look at him, eyes only on the doctor even as he gave the man a fierce frown.

"And I also said to limit the stress she experiences. All of this can be managed better, here." The Doctor pressed, meeting Gladio's glare with one of his own. "The more jarring she suffers, the more likely this is going to be *permanent*. We have a small window to try and reverse the damage but not if you continue to second guess and argue with every one of my treatment methods."

Gladio huffed, and you knew without looking his nose was flared and his brows were pulled together like a bull. How... how did you know that? You turned to look up at him, confused, but you were right. The anger on his face was clear, and exactly as you imagined, and when he realized you were staring at him it dropped instantly. "... fine. Alright. Whatever she wants to do, that's what we'll do."

The Doctor stared for a moment, waiting for something else before he finally stood up. "I'll arrange the scan. After that, we'll discuss your options." He touched your shoulder, probably to soothe you, before walking out the door.

Gladio stood staring down at you for a long time, and you finally looked away to stare at the floor. "Can I sit?" He asked after a moment, waiting for you to answer.

And you didn't, not for a while, until you finally nodded. "Yeah. Sure." You moved over on the bed, giving him room to sit beside you. He was careful to sit far enough away that he didn't touch you, finally giving you the space you thought you wanted... but now you weren't so sure. You were bereft, and alone, and damn it just when you wanted someone to hold you he'd finally got the message and was respecting your boundaries.

_Are you kidding me._

When the bed stopped moving under his weight, the two of you sitting in silence beside eachother, you realized you'd never felt so alone. First one tear came, and then another. As much as you tried to fight them, hold them at bay, they came sliding out unbidden. Unwanted.

"You hate to cry." Gladio murmured quietly, still watching you from the corner of his eye. 

And like that the dam was broken, and the tears came flooding out. What were you going to do? What was going to happen now? You curled in on yourself, wiping the tears away with the back of your hand as fast as they fell... but not fast enough.

You watched as Gladio turned his hand over on his knee, so the palm was suddenly facing upward, the fingers splayed in invitation. As stubborn as you'd been, as much as you'd pushed him away, atleast he was asking now. 

Hesitating, you finally pressed your tear-stained palm to his. The hand seemed so much larger than yours, warm and gentle, despite his callouses. He was slow to wrap his fingers around yours, giving you time to pull back if you needed it.

But you didn't need it. There was something comforting in his grip. Something familiar, shifting beneath the chasms of your broken memory and locked beneath three solid feet of ice. Shadows, and only shadows, without the clear image behind them.

"You're not alone," he said suddenly, abruptly, fervently. "You've got... Us. You've got us." 

You turned to stare up at him, brows drawn together. That weird hesitation, you hadn't missed it. But he'd stopped himself and you just didn't have it in you to ask why.

"Because we're... good friends?" You asked, face still screwed up in confusion. 

"Yeah. Good friends."


	3. Three

It had been a couple of weeks, and you'd fallen into a steady routine since the Accident. In the mornings you woke up, or rather Gladio woke you up to keep you from missing your hellish appointments with your physical therapist. The man, one Doctor Varus, was an unrelenting task master. By the end of your sessions you felt both mentally and physically drained... but you also felt accomplished. 

After a brief break, you'd come back to your room and start on the cognitive part of your treatment. Sometimes... sometimes it was harder than the physical parts. Atleast you could put your head down and focus on your body. Building up what you'd lost, being stuck in bed for nearly a month. 

The memory stuff... that was discouraging. You hadn't just lost your memories, but your short term had been affected too. You had a hard time remembering dates, even the days of the week. The names of the staff trying to help you. Even whole conversations you'd had maybe only a few hours before. Little things that you're sure you took for granted a long time ago, but were a struggle now.

Gladiolus had brought you a note book the day after one of your harder sessions. It had a cute little bird on the front, not a chocobo but a sparrow, maybe. "The doctor said it might help, to write things down until you can get it on your own."

He'd been right. At first, you hadn't thought about it, but the more you wrote, the more it seemed to help. You felt almost like a reporter sometimes, talking to people or the doctor and making little notes to jog your memory later. The first thing you did in the morning was write what day it was on the newest page, and you went from there. 

"Food's here."

You looked up from your notes, putting the notebook on the bedside table next to you as Gladio pulled up the side table and his chair. He draped his leather jacket over the end of your bed before sitting down next to you, in what was now his designated chair. "Ignis wanted you to try this." 

"More fish?" You ask, wrinkling your nose at him as he dutifully presented the container before popping the lid off. Wow... the food was still warm and steaming. 

"Battered Barramundi." Gladio held up a set of utensils, smirking at you. "C'mon. Supposed to be good for you. Don't want me to tell Ignis you turned your nose up at his food, do you?"

You snatched them from his hands, pulling the container and rolling table closer as you sat crosslegged on the bed. Even as you began to eat, ravenous as if you were starving, Gladio watched you with a softer smile instead of the smirk he'd been sporting just a few moments before.

You covered your mouth for a moment, looking away as you swallowed and he laughed, leaning back in his seat. "I hate it when you watch me." You manage to grumble at him, scowling in a light pout even as he continued to grin at you.

"Yeah, I know. But I can't help it." He teased back, that devilish smirk lighting up his face. "So, how'd it go today?"

Your face fell, and you pushed the half-eaten meal away while you drew in on yourself. It hadn't been good today; you'd been distracted all morning, frustrated with memory issues and the slow slog of recovery. You hugged your arms, looking down at the blanket rather than Gladio.

He finished moving the tray away so he could lean closer, elbows on the matress as he watched you over you clasped hands. "You want to talk about it?" He asked quietly, giving you space.

You knew he did that to keep from reaching out to touch you; he needed to keep his hand occupied, and at first you appreciated the sentiment... but sometimes you didn't. Like right now, you wanted to be held, but he was respecting your space after your repeated rejections.

"I kept forgetting his name." You mumble, pulling your knees up. "And I couldn't focus." There was a long silence between the two of you, thick enough to cut with a spoon as you fidgetted with your hands. 

Gladio watched your face, frowning even as you looked away to avoid his eyes. "Hey," he murmured, putting his hand out palm up. That had been his way of asking if he could touch you ever since that moment he sat beside you on the hospital bed.

You stared down at his palm, hands squeezing together trying not to reach out for his hand before you finally gave in and put your hand in his. Her curled around it, giving a firm squeeze. "This is gonna take time. You can't keep beating yourself up like this."

You tried to speak, mouth opening and closing without any words coming out before you ended up nodding with a sigh. "... I know. But I thought I'd have something back by now." You answered, hand tightening around his. He must have thought you wanted to let go, because he loosened his grip.

But, strangely, you didn't want to and held on instead.

You could see it on his face, a sad smile as his hand squeezed yours again. "We used to go hiking." He said after a while, looking out the window at the outdoors. "We'd be out so long sometimes we'd end up needing to camp."

"We did?" You canted your head in thought, face screwing up as you concentrated to try and recall even a shred... but it was just a blank void. You sighed, pulling your hand away from his and reaching for your notebook.

"What're you writing?"

"I would go hiking," you answered, scribbling onto the page towards the back. It had all the little facts about yourself you couldn't remember, but Gladio had told you about. It had your favorite food, the first time you'd gone to the beach. Little things of no consequence before, but were now priceless bits of your old self.

"Your Little List, huh?" He said, his chest rumbling with a chuckle.

"You could say that." You answered, unable to stop the smile spreading across your face. "Its turning into a Long List..." thanks to you, you silently finished in your head, looking up again into those red-amber eyes of his. 

But there it was, that pained look on his face again as he watched you. You'd done something wrong, you could feel it... but he never told you what it was. 

"Let's go tomorrow." He said suddenly, leaning back in his chair to watch you. 

"Go where?"

"Hiking. There's a short trail close to here. You could use a break from the asshole, and we -- it might jog your memory." He shrugged, trying to look decidedly nonchalant as he waited for your reaction.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," you answered, hugging your arms. "I don't think Doc... Doctor..." Your face was bound up in concentration, your hand squeezing around the notebook as you resisted the urge to look inside for help just remembering a stupid name. "... I don't think he'd let me." You finished, forcing your hand to relax around the notebook. 

You could see how much it hurt Gladio, watching you struggle and being unable to help. "Then don't ask." Gladio said, drawing your attention away from the name you'd forgotten. "We'll just go." He leaned forward, thumbing at the door behind him. "You've been locked in here for weeks now. Seeing the same walls, the same doors, the same people." He folded his arms over his chest, making the muscles in his arms and shoulders swell. That... that was a weird thing to notice. Where had that come from? "Let's try my way once."

The way he was looking at you, exuding confidence and certainty, made it all but impossible to say no. "Okay," you said, chuckling at him. "Alright. You win. We'll take a hike tomorrow."

The look on Gladio's face was enough to light up the room. He was grinning at you, leaning forward in excitement. You felt another familiar twinge, another missed opporunity like you should have done something just now, but instead you shrank back and away from him.

The glowing joy on his face vanished, like the sun abruptly being blocked by a cloud and you regretted pulling away. "I'll... get some clothes together. For tomorrow."

He stands up from his chair, and for a moment you feel your heart clench. You've done it again, some mistake you don't even know you're making and you don't know how to fix it. He's walking to the door, back to you when you manage to blurt out, "Tomorrow. Its a date." Damn, that was cringey even when you factor in the memory loss. 

He stops at the door, giving you an appraising if sad look while you write in your notebook to remember. "Heh, yeah. A date," he answered, before stepping out the door.

He was gone, and you were left alone on the bed with his leather jacket. You couldn't help but chuckle, if a bit disappointed with his abrupt exit. Who had the memory problems now?

You grabbed a hold of the shoulder, pulling it towards you. There was something familiar about it, and you ran your hand over the stitching. 

_Cold?_

_No!_

_Heh. Are you sure? I don't think you'd tell me if you were._

_Maybe I look better in it than you do. Ever thought of that?_

_You won't hear me complainin, babe._

This smell. You knew this smell. It was warmth, and comfort, and joy and pleasure wrapped up into one. A spark of the fire that almost ignited the dark, shadowed depths of your memories... but it wasn't able to catch. As quickly as they'd come back, they were gone, slipping through your fingers like the coat as you let it drop back down the bed.

What the fuck was that? 

You shook your head, willing them back, pleading silently that maybe everything was working, and you were starting to remember... but no. The longer you sat on the bed, the faster it seemed to fade, the more desperate you were hold on to it. You grabbed your notebook, scrawling one word on the List page: 

**_Jacket._ **


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ;)

There was a screech overhead, and you instinctively ducked... though it was unnecessary. The griffon landed in a tumble beside you, rolling in the grass and the bright red flowers.

You were kneeling, surrounded by these blood red blossoms as the griffon sprang up and turned its fearsome beak towards you. He all but charged at you again, this time from the ground and stopping just short nearly nose to beak as you met its fierce glare.

You should have been afraid, worried that this beast could gut you without a thought... but you weren't. You smiled, full and bright and happy, your hands going up to its head and letting your fingers brush under its feathers as it made a pleased rumble in its chest. 

"C'mon, up." 

The dream shattered when you felt his hand on your shoulder, gently shaking you awake. It felt like it was earlier than he usually woke you, and as you forced your eyes open you gave him an irritated groan. 

"What is your personal vendetta against sleep?" You grumble at him, grabbing the pillow and the blanket and trying to bury yourself beneath them to steal a few more precious seconds of rest.

"Sleep's great," you hear him say with a chuckle as he pries the pillow from your hands, peeling the blanket back. "But we've got things to do today." 

The hike. That's right.

"What happens when I don't show up to see Doctor Varus?" You murmur, sitting up and rubbing your eyes. "A patient with memory problems wandering off won't cause some kind of panic?"

You looked up at him, but if he was worried he didn't seem to show it. He was actually happier than you'd seen him, grinning from ear to ear as he put a pack beside you on the bed. "Talked to him yesterday. You're clear for a walk outside." 

You couldn't help but chuckle at the way he was acting. Gladio was excited, that much was abundantly clear. The smile on his face... it was refreshing. You picked up the bag, heading to the bathroom to get changed.

\--- 

"You look... good." Gladio murmured as you stepped out, wearing a comfortable set of jeans and a tank top. He had a bottle of sun screen in hand, standing by the window. 

"Are these mine?" You asked, looking down at your clothes again. They fit perfectly; down to the boots he'd brought and set by the door when you realized you'd forgotten them in the room.

"Yeah. Had to stop by- your house." You caught that awkward stutter, but he pushed away from the wall and came to stand by you without missing a beat. 

"I guess I gave you a key?" You couldn't help the look of confusion on your face as you looked up at him. He'd been confident a few moments ago, and now he was standing awkwardly beside you. 

He chuckled, a deep rumbling thing in his chest as he shook his head with a disappointed frown. "Something like that, yeah."

"... something like that?" Your brows knit together in confusion, not quite understanding. Why was he dodging your question?

"We have to get you screened before we go." Gladio pressed, dodging again. He held up the bottle of sunscreen, almost like he didn't know what to do with it. "... do you want me to, or...?" 

It made sense now. He didn't know if you'd let him put his hands on your shoulders and arms.

"I can--" You stopped as you reached for the bottle, your eyes suddenly on the ink on his outstretched arm. Feathers. Those were feathers tattoo'd on his arm, climbing up his bicep to his shoulder and disappearing under his black tank. "Feathers." You murmured, skipping over the bottle and tracing one of the lines inked into his forearm.

"You okay?" His voice had suddenly gone lower, watching you almost warily. You hadn't touched him beyond his hand, but you were suddenly running a finger along every line as it connected to the others. There was more, beyond his arms and shoulders. You knew that much, a flash of insight flooding your mind just like the scent from his coat the night before.

"Can I see the rest?" You murmur, eyes locked on to his shoulder where the other feathers vanished out of sight. You needed to see it, needed it like you needed air as you went to grab the bottom of his tank. 

He dropped the bottle of sun screen to take hold of one of your wrists, his face suddenly serious. His eyes, those damn familiar red-amber eyes boring into yours with his brows drawn together almost in concern and... something else.

"Why?" He asked, his hand gentle but firm around your wrist. He seemed just as afraid of you pulling back, as you did of him pushing you away.

"I need to see the rest," you managed to say hardly above a whisper. You had stepped closer, almost pressing into his chest while your eyes darted between those damn eyes and the feathers drawn so carefully on his shoulder. "I keep... I have dreams about feathers. Please?"

He stood silent and still for a moment, breath going just short of ragged as he stepped carefully back. Fuck. You did it again. What was _so wrong_ with you, you couldn't even manage normal--

He let go of your wrist, his hands going to the collar of the tank so he could pull it over his head and shoulders. The muscles bunching made the feathers move, and for a moment the griffon in your dreams flashed in your head. He balled the tank up into one of his fists, and you took a cautious step forward.

"Can I...?" You held up a hand, hovering over the tattoos again. Your heart was hammering away in your chest, eyes all but glued to the ink as it spread over his skin. 

"Yeah," his answered, breathless. His voice had gone deeper, a growl that seemed to climb out of his chest as your hand finally touched the marks on his flesh. He was hot to the touch, the thicker lines of ink raising up the skin a bit and changing the planes as your fingers skimmed across.

You started walking around him, your fingers still tracing the feathers over his shoulder as you came around to his back. Gladio stood stock still, following you with his eyes though not turning his head when you wandered out of his sight. Almost like he was afraid any sudden movement might disrupt you, and scare you off. 

The feathers spread across his back, blanketing him across the shoulders and down his back. You stood silent, eyes wide as you took in the intricate work. Without realizing it, you'd pressed both hands to his shoulders and slid them lower. The muscles under his skin, the smell of him so close, stirred something in that fractured mind of your's.

_Clean sheets, they wouldn't be clean for long. Giggles as he flexed under your hands. He liked to show off for you, all those muscles and you knew every one. You'd teased him all afternoon, pretending you didn't know what you were doing, but fuck yeah you did. You couldn't even kick the door closed before he was on you, hot breath and hungry mouth. He picked you up, tossing you to the bed with a wicked smirk. The things he was going to do to you, smelling like that. Like leather, and sweat, and **him**._

Your hands were suddenly sliding around the front of him, hugging yourself to his back as you took in the scent of him, wrapping it around you like a blanket. He gave his own shuddering breath, his hands dropping to yours and pinning your hands by the wrist as they crawled across his lower stomach, just above the top of his trousers. 

You kissed the space between his shoulder blades, a half formed memory and instinct guiding you as he shuddered in your arms. One of your hands had begun to climb up, dragging your nails across his chest so you could pull another delicious groan from him. 

The sound he made had you shuddering now, leaning into his back and forcing him to hold your weight. There was something here, tangled under so many memories. You slid your arms out from his, finishing your slow circle around him and ending up back where you'd started: standing before him, but rather than having your hand on his arm, your palms were both pressed flat to his lower stomach. You wanted to hook your hands into those trousers, pull them down. You were fighting the instinct, the idea of it, so hard that your hands were almost shaking with the force of it.

"Gladiolus?" Your voice was suddenly low, husky, your eyes on the hawk's head resting over one glorious pectoral muscle.

"Yeah?" His voice was gravelled, deep with need. His hands were coming up to your shoulders, and you couldn't give a single, solitary shit. You forced your eyes away from his chest, up to his mouth. One of your hands seemed to have a mind of its own, following your eyes to cup his jaw as his breath hitched. He moved into the touch, and suddenly he was backing you into the wall. 

"What... what were we?" You whispered as your felt your back hit the wall.

"You don't remember?" He growled, leaning down and pressing against you into the wall. One of his legs was between yours, raising it up so you were suddenly resting on his rock-like thigh. The hand you'd had on his stomach slid around to his back, and you didn't know if he was pushing you into the wall or if you were trying to crush yourself to his body. You felt his breath on your neck, hot and damp as he pressed a kiss to your jaw. "Let me remind you."

You made a sound deep in the back of your throat, and he raised his thigh again to help you. Your legs felt weak, but he was there to help you as you shifted and fucking damn... you dropped lower, rubbing yourself against his thigh he'd so courteously raised. "Glad--" You gave another experimental roll of your hips, gasping when you felt it move beneath you. You were digging your nails into his back without realizing it, head thrown back as he attacked your neck with months of pent up need.

"That's right, babe." He growled into your ear, shifting his leg again. "Keep moving. C'mon," he bit the shell of your ear, before dropping back down to your neck. "C'mon babe, I know you need it as much as me. Fuck," 

Your hand had clawed down his back, and if you wouldn't pull his trousers down your hand was going to breach the border without you. While you rut into his thigh, grinding down and looking for the friction you were so desperate for you had a handful of Grade A Gladiolus ass.

It wasn't enough, just grinding against the man like some kind of horny virgin. You needed him in you, holding you, fucking you. "Please," the word came out squeezed, desperate as you clawed at his back again, hands desperate and going for his belt. 

He chuckled, his own hand going to your jeans and popping the top button off without a thought. "Love it when you need me," he said, eyes aglow with an almost feral light. "Ask me again," he whispered into your ear, pushing his hand down the front of your pants as his thigh dropped away.

You gave a frustrated snarl, a hand balling up into the chain hanging around his neck as you pulled him closer. " _Please_ ," you managed to grind out, feeling his fingers slip past your clit. The more direct contact was sending jolt after jolt up your spine, dragging a moan of relief from your suddenly dry throat.

"The door's not locked babe," you heard him murmur into your throat, kissing up a line from the column of your neck and along your jaw. "Have to be quiet."

Your hands weren't near steady enough to finish undoing his trousers, instead they found their way to his shoulders where you held on for dear life. Fuck, it was both too much and not enough as he stroked you. Slow at first, then faster. You felt him push his fingers deeper in to you, dragging another gasping whine from your throat. You were biting your lip to stay quiet, body shaking as Gladio continued. 

"Every night," he whispered into your ear, biting the lobe when he was being particularly punishing to your clit. "Every night, I was yours." Your groaned, shaking as he sped up. He was making circles, spreading you wide with a second finger. "I fucked you to the point you couldn't stand," he continued to hiss, planting a kiss just under your ear. 

Your hips had started to move in time with his fingers, your nails digging into his shoulders. Right there, you were right fucking there. He made a noise low in his throat when your hips became that much more insistent, pressing his growing need against you as he added a third finger. "Come on babe, let it go. Don't be stubborn," he pulled his hand away, grinding against you instead with his fully clothed dick.

It was enough to unravel you, feeling him just outside where you needed him to be and you came with a shout. He kept used his hand to bring your thigh up over his hips, muffling your whines with a full and greedy kiss while he kept bumping against you. You pulled yourself against him, helping, grinding against the cock you couldn't quite have yet because of those fucking trousers. 

"Gladio," you were panting, pushing against him as he kept grinding against you. He was breathing heavy, hand gripping your hip as he pulled you against him.

"Yeah?"

"I don't want to go hiking."


	5. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ;) ;)

Gladiolus was chuckling at you, the literal fucking bastard that he was, grinding against your still-clothed hips with that smirk. The fire in your belly swelled up, and without you had your arms around his neck. You were seeking out his mouth, peppering his neck and jaw with searching kisses until you found them.

You balled your hands up in his hair when he had hold of your other thigh, using it to wind your legs around his hips as he continued butting against you into the wall. He had actually lifted you from the ground now, holding you against the wall with this slow torture as he feigned shallow thrusts. This taunting was getting old, and after a heart beat of it you pulled his face away with a sharp tug of his hair.

"Stop fucking with me," you hiss, grinding harder against his clothed erection to emphasize your point. "And _fuck_ me." 

His teasing smirk became something else, the light in his eyes changing to something more wild as your words registered in his ears. Without so much as a flinch, he'd taken you away from the wall. You were clinging to him now, legs around his waist and arms around his neck as he took you back to the small hospital bed that had been your's for the past several months. 

With a grunt he dropped you to the matress, disentangling himself from your arms and legs while his hands went back to the waistband of your jeans. You didn't even have to lift you hips; he yanked them clear down your thighs to your knees like he was drowning. 

You sat up, your own fingers undoing the belt that had been thwarting you just a few minutes before when you felt him tilt your face up by the chin to capture you in another scorching kiss. It was distracting, dizzying, your fingers managing to finally, _finally_ undo the belt but now that damn button was in the way. You had to pull away, for air, and when you had drawn a single breath he was right back there to reclaim your mouth. 

His hands, those calloused palms dragging along the outside of your thighs before he yanked you closer. Suddenly your naked lower half was pressed flush to his waiting, needing hardness trapped beneath all those layers of clothes. You reached up, hands tangled in his hair again to pull him back so you could stare into those fierce, fiery amber eyes. 

"Please," you managed in a whimper, rolling your hips against him. You were close, and you knew he was driving you mad on purpose. It was his favorite thing, taunting you into a frenzy. "Please, Glad. _Please_ ,"

He was suddenly pressing you down, leaning over you as he rubbed against you. Your hands moved back down to his back, nails dragging hard lines down the inked skin as he began a slow thrusting rhythm. He was still dressed, the friction from his movements alone sending jolt after jolt despite the emptiness of him denying you his cock.

You felt your limbs tighten up, your legs locking around his waist as he drove against you. Your hands struggling to find a grip as you unravelled again... but he didn't offer a reprieve, drilling against you through your release as he pinned you to the bed.

There was movement behind you, and for a moment you froze as the door to the hospital room came out. 

"I thought she'd been signed out for the morning--" It was a nurse, talking to someone outside as she walked in. She turned to look in the room, freezing at the door with her hand on the knob when she caught sight of you and Gladio.

He had you pinned to the bed, hands death gripping your thighs and holding you against him as you turned to stare at the unfortunate woman standing in the doorway. Both of you had gone a strange combination of green and pale, while Gladio sat there between your legs with the single greatest shit-eating grin of the century.

"I'll-- I'll, um... come later-" The poor woman was stumbling over her words, trying to disappear back through the door. She looked mortified, and you were positive if you had a mirror in hand you'd look worse.

"She already did." Your head snapped to Gladio as he spoke, looking entirely too pleased with himself as he smirked down at you. The Nurse went another impossible shade of red before she all but warped herself out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

The mood sufficiently killed, you ran through a mental checklist to try and regain your dignity. Gladiolus didn't have a shirt on, but he still had his... slightly soiled pants. You had _your_ shirt, but no pants.

"Can I... get my jeans back, please?" You mumble, coming back to yourself as you studiously avoided his gaze. 

"Yeah," he answered, pulling away to get your pants from the floor. You closed your legs, a sudden churning in your chest. What the hell was all of that? What happened? "Hey," Gladiolus murmured, turning your face up to his and cupping your cheek. "Don't go quiet now. I'm sure she's seen worse."

"Its not that," you mumbled, sliding off of the bed and almost losing your footing. Without behind asked, Gladio put you back on the bed, kneeling down to help get your jeans on from your suddenly unresponsive legs.

"I told you," he was still grinning as he knelt on the ground beside you, "until you couldn't walk."

You flushed again, chuckling. He had said that, hadn't he? Gladio stood back up, leaning over you and pressing a gentle and far more innocent kiss to your lips. "I... just,"

He stood silently, watching you patiently. "Was it, too far?" He finally asked, pulling his chair up so he was slightly below eye level with you. There was that fearful shadow to his eyes again, worried and concerned.

"No!" You shook your head, holding out your hands to take one of his. "No. I just... don't know what happened. What took over."

He gave you his hand, squeezing your fingers. "We'll just play it by ear." Gladio murmured with a nod. He looked like he was going to say more, but there was a louder knock on the door.

"If the two of you are quite done." The Doctor strode into the room, looking exceptionally unamused as he stared at the two of them. He folded his arms, eyes going from you to Gladio. "This is a hospital, not a hotel."

Gladio couldn't stop the snort, nor the smirk as the Doctor glared down at him. He shook his head, turning back to you. "And you. What happened?"

You paled again, the blood draining from your face as you stared up at the doctor. "We--.. I, um," You were stumbling over your words, the man responsible doing his best not to chuckle at your expense as the doctor let out an exasperated sigh.

"Let me rephrase. Are you beginning to remember your relationship with this man? How... did it progress to this point." The man should have a closet of awards for diplomacy.

"... his tattoos," you manage to murmur, looking away from the doctor and turning your attention to the feathers drawn on Gladio's arm. "That dream with the feathers, and I just knew he had more on his back."

The Doctor was thoughtful for a moment, nodding and going to the end of your bed to pick up the chart. "That's a good sign," he said, flipping the pages. "... I think we've reached a point where we should start transitioning to an outpatient basis."

"Outpatient?" You murmured, brows drawn together as Gladio went still beside you.

"Yes. We'll start slowly, maybe a weekend every other week." The Doctor continued, looking up from the chart. "But you need to continue doing your cognitive exercises while you're away. If you let them go, then the progress you're making will slide back to square one. This is part of your treatment, not Spring Break in Galdin Quay." The second part was said as he glared at Gladio, who atleast had the sense to look a touch offended.

"When... when would this happen?" You asked, looking up at the doctor. Outpatient? Where were you going to go?

"You were already permitted to leave for that hike you never managed to make," the doctor muttered dryly, giving another pointed glare at Gladio before he marked something in your chart. "I'll just extend it two days. We'll have today be the test run."

You sat there for a moment, stunned as the doctor continued to speak, your eyes drifting to the window. After a moment he said something about arranging the paperwork, and he drifted back out the door where he'd come.

The silence dragged, Gladio watching you as you stared out at the window. Your mouth was pressed into a line, forehead bunched together as you tried to fathom everything that happened.

"Hey," he murmured, squeezing your hand. "Ready to come home?"


	6. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One day I'll go through and add summaries but today is not that day. Sorry I missed yesterday! Hope this makes up for it <3

Your whole world for the last several months had been the hospital; it was quite literally all you knew, and the idea that you had somewhere _else_ that was an actual home... it was hard to fathom. 

But here you were, getting out of a car and looking up at the apartment building that you apparently had lived in for a long while. The ride over had been silent, your head a roiling mess of torn up thoughts and worry. 

You didn't remember getting out of the car, or walking to the bank of   
elevators... just staring at the buttons beside the doors, face tense with concentration and worry. You were holding the only bag you'd brought with you from the hospital, in a nearly white knuckled grip like you were afraid it would evaporate if you let go. It had a few personal effects, a necklace and the flash cards the doctor had given you for your memory drills. He'd also given you other directions, carefully typed and put together in a banded folder. As long as you were an outpatient, you'd be doing all of these yourself.

"Something on your mind?"

You jumped as the elevator doors slid open, turning to look at Gladio as he watched you quietly. He had a hand up. blocking the door so it wouldn't close on you until you were situated inside. The look on his face... it was hard to read; he looked concerned, a tightness around his eyes when you realized he must have been talking to you and you just hadn't heard it.

"No," you murmured, dropping your eyes and quickly moving into the elevator car. Gladio stayed outside a moment longer, before following ou into the care and pressing the button you assumed belonged to your floor. "... yes," you finished with a sigh, leaning into his arm.

He lifted it up enough to wrap it around your shoulders, tucking you into the crook of his arm against him and squeezing your shoulder. "Yeah? Like what?"

You drew his leather coat tighter around yourself, over sized as it was and waited for the pounding in your chest to subside. "I don't remember any of this." You finally admitted, burying yourself in his side. "Not the buildings. The streets. The fucking car." You voice rose with each sentence, the frustration evident in every word as you clutched the folder tighter to your chest. 

Gladio stayed quiet, squeezing your shoulder as you spoke and waited for you to finish. When your breathing calmed, he turned his face down to look at you at you with a gentle smile. "The doctor wouldn't have let you go if he didn't think you were ready," he said with a nod to the folder in your hands. "You're making progress. You need to be patient."

"I've been patient," you grumble, trying to keep your frustration in check with a shake of your head. The smile was sliding from his face, and as much as you wanted to keep a brave front you just couldn't keep these doubts to yourself anymore. "What if... what if this is just easier than telling me that I've made as much progress as I'm going to?"

The silence dragged, Gladio gently pushing you out of the elevator and down the hall. His hand on your back, atleast, was a warm and comforting weight, and you curled into his side again. "Don't think like that." He said firmly, stopping in front of a door. You turned, looking at it to see if you felt anything, the slightest twinge of rememberance...

Nothing. Not even a twitch.

When the door swung open, you stood on the threshold like your feet were rooted to the spot. That gripping fear that had been crushing your heart since you'd left the hospital had swarmed back up your throat as you stared into the open doorway. You were aware that Gladio was watching you, his hand dropping to his side. 

It was a stupid thing, to be afraid of entering your own home. But that nagging thread at the back of your mind kept asking, " _Are you so sure its really your's?_ " 

You stepped inside, mouth pressed into a line. There was a small hallway leading in, past a door that probably lead to the closet before you reached the living room. There wasn't any tv, or really any electronics, but it seemed... comfortable. There was a couch, and shelves packed with books. A coffee table.

One of the side tables beside the couch had a few pictures. When you stepped closer, reaching down to pick up one of the frames, you realized with a start it was of you and Gladiolus. You dropped the bag and the folder you'd been carrying to the floor, your other hand coming up hold the picture between your hands as you stared down at it.

Gladio came up behind you, hands hesitantly coming around your waist as he leaned over your shoulder to peek at the picture you'd picked up. You still jumped at his touch, and sometimes you could see that frown in his eyes before he managed to push it aside when you looked up at him. You felt more comfortable with him now, especially after what had occurred in the hospital room, but it still took time not being surprised when you felt his unexpected touch.

"When was this?" You murmured as he nuzzled into you neck, eyes still on the picture. He'd picked you up so you were tucked under one arm, the other flexing in the strongarm pose. You were laughing, joyful and open-mouthed while he was looking decidedly smug.

"We'd gone to a circus," Gladio answered with a chuckle, one hand coming from your waist to take hold of the picture while your hand dropped away. "You bet I couldn't hit the bell at the top of the mallet game."

Looking down at the picture, you couldn't help but smile. You may not have remembered, but he seemed to... and fondly at that. "Really?"

"Yeah," Gladio said with a laugh, putting the picture back down so his hands could go back to your hips. His fingers tightened, digging in the slightest bit and you could hear the smirk in his voice. "The carnie told me to pick my prize and I grabbed you."

You couldn't help the chuckle, imagining the scene even if you couldn't remember it. There were other pictures beside that one. Most of them seemed candid; neither of you aware they were being taken. 

"Prompto took most of them," Gladio said, as if reading your mind. "He'd show you the camera after, and you'd pick the best shots."

You went silent again, eyes going from one picture to the next, forehead scowling in concentration as you tried to remember just one thing from any of the pictures... but nothing came forward.

"I'm..." Your voice was starting to break, but you were _not_ about to cry. Not again, not right now. "I'm tired," you managed to squeeze out, masking the fear and the sadness in your voice. "Can we just, go to bed?"

For a moment you weren't sure he'd heard you, until he lifted you up and put you over his shoulder. You let out a yelp, surprised as he lifted you like you were nothing. "I can walk!" 

"I know you can," he said, chuckling. The hand holding you in place on his shoulder was resting innocently enough on your behind, but this was Gladio and it was anything but innocent. "But I like carrying you."

You spent the short trek to the bedroom staring down at Gladio's ass, and all things considered you'd had worse views. You heard the door open, a few more steps forward and you were being dropped to the bed with your tattoo'd lover looming over you.

That look was back in his eyes, half feral and heated as he crawled over you onto the bed as your hand came up to his face. He was resting between your legs, and you were suddenly, deeply reminded of the hospital. "But there's something I like more."

Oh. _Oh_.


	7. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *finger guns*

Your breath hitched, staring at those fierce amber eyes inches from your face. Gladio's mouth was curved into that smirk, and when he shifted... damn, why was he moving? You made a sound in the back of your throat, swallowing past the heart in your throat. 

He was already going hard, a detail that was hard to miss as he moved forward. His hands were pushing your top up, hooking his hands into the top of your jeans as he yanked you closer. Your hands were cupping his face, pulling him up to your mouth. He took the invitation and ran with it, one hand going to the back of your neck and pulling you closer into that all-consuming kiss. 

You missed his other hand on your jean's top button and zipper, what with his tongue coaxing yours to tangle with his. Your breathing, even if shallow before, was suddenly ragged as he pulled away leaving you dazed in the aftermath. His hand came away from your neck, looping into the top of your pants as he yanked them free in a smooth, if jerked motion as he sat backwards. 

Once again you found your lower half naked, this tattoo'd man leaning back over you with that smug grin as he nipped at your jaw. Somewhere, in the back of your mind, something clicked. As he was leaning over you, luring you into another searing kiss, your hands came over his shoulders to pull him closer, dragging your nails down his back until you found the edge of his shirt and pulled.

Gladio bowed his head as you pulled his shirt over his shoulders, chuckling while his hands went to your own buttoned-up top. Without warning he flexed those powerful hands of his, ripping open the shirt and sending the buttons flying across the room as he spread your shirt open like it was a gift he was too excited to get.

You gasped, his calloused hands going to your sides and running up your rib cage. He pressed his mouth to your neck, and you could feel the heat of his breath and the quick press of his tongue while his fingers trailed back down to your thighs. "Lay back," he murmured into you neck, nuzzling into your neck again as he pushed you flat to the bed.

Heart thundering away, you did as you were told. It was hard not to, with his hand pushing you backward to the mattress as he shifted to settle over you on his elbows and knees. You were caged under him, breathing too fast as he started sliding downward, towards your feet and the edge of the bed. His lips moved from your neck, the faintest pressure of teeth as he moved them downward between your breasts, across your stomach. 

Feeling his mouth ghosting across your torso, mouth dragging a red hot line that made your skin prickle with goosebumps made your stomach tighten the lower he moved. You couldn't help it, sitting up on your elbows to watch him with open fascination as he finally slid off the bed, settled between your thighs with that smirk that promised dirty things.

"Gladio?" You murmured, mouth suddenly dry as he leaned forward. Those red-amber eyes were locked on yours, and you could feel his breath when he kissed the flesh just above where you wanted it to be. He made a hushing noise, turning to his task instead.

It was tenative at first, pressing his lips to your lower ones as you let out a surprised gasp. But then... then you felt his tongue, parting you wide as you felt the warm wetness of his tongue against your clit. Your back went rigid, lightning strikes of pleasure bolting up from your pelvis to the tips of your fingers. 

You jerked, not anticipating the sensation of him between your thighs. Your instincts shoved you roughly aside, one hand going into his hair and grabbing a handful of his hair while the other fisted the blanket beneath you. Your hips were trying to push forward, practically begging as another slow swipe drew up from your folds and over the bundle of nerves.

One of your legs was over his shoulder, his arm coming up to pin your hips down to the bed while his other hand came up to your chest. He grabbed a handful of your breast, squeezing tight as he resumed his slow torture. You couldn't move under his ironlike grip, and with each pass of his tongue you were at his mercy. 

It felt like he was drawing shapes against your labia, the wet slickness of his tongue speeding up as he chased your climax. You couldn't move your hips, even clench your thighs with how he had you held to the bed. All you could do was push his face further, deeper, pleading with him as he pulled back to bring you away from the shining edge of completion.

"Gladio," your voice was hoarse as he purred from his place between your legs, turning his heated eyes up to meet yours. He gave you another long, suffering pause as his tongue swept over your clit again. You couldn't help it as you tried to buck again, searching for more friction. Any way to get relief from this fire he'd built up inside of you. "Gladio!"

You could feel your legs tensing, readying for the orgasm that he denied you again as he pulled up enough to speak... but not before planting another wet, sloppy kiss over your clit. He was squeezing your breast, kneading the flesh and running his thumb over the nipple. You were panting, like you'd run miles, and the bastard was just smirking like the fucking cheshire cat lapping up the cream between your thighs. "Yeah?"

Whatever smart, scathing reply you had dried up in your throat as his hand dropped from your chest. You felt his fingers stroking up and down your slit, using your own wetness to ease themselves inside. There was no preamble this time, and you felt him slide two fingers inside. Your hand came away from his hair, balling up into the sheets as he bent back over you.

He was moving at a steady beat, fingers curved just enough to drag along the inside as he stroked each pass. His tongue laved across your clit, dropping down to your folds to vary sensations, and you could finally, finally feel yourself climbing to your climax. 

At some point, you don't remember sitting up. Your fingers back in his hair, trying to pull him closer as he got faster. Your breath, ragged before, was coming in gasps as your hips moved under his arm threatening to unseat his grip. Your reaction only egged him on, his fingers moving faster, pressing harder. Oh, fuck, a third? He'd somehow slid a third finger in without you realizing it until he was pressing into your walls. Stretching you, tipping you over that mountain top you'd clawed your way to.

"Gladio!" You didn't come so much with a shout, but a shudder, your muscles tensing as your back arched. Fucking, fuck, shit-- and he didn't stop, even as you rode that cresting wave of pleasure he continued, eyes rolled up to your's and _of course_ , he was smirking, the bastard that he was. He was chasing your first orgasm with a second, using how sensitive you'd become in the afterglow to push a second climax moments after your first one finished. 

Here you did shout, your hand dropping from the painfully tight grip in his hair to dig your nails into his shoulder, curled over him as you tensed up impossibly tight. "Fuck!" 

He came up for air then, letting the pleasure crash over you without him to make it unbearable. Pushing you back into the bed, mouth finding yours as he fisted your hair. You were light headed, blinking back motes of light. "Tired already, babe?" He asked into your neck, teeth set back into your ear lobe. It made a shiver run down your spine, straight to your cunt.

You turned your head, trapping his mouth and tasting yourself on his tongue as it pushed itself inside of you. "No," you murmured, still dizzy as he chuckled down at you. You could feel his cock, bumping into your thigh as he shifted over you, one of his hands going between you to move himself into position.

"Good," he hissed, and you felt him slide his cock over you until he found the entrance he was so eager to sink himself into. "I'm not done with you," Gladio persisted through grit teeth, pushing his thickness deeper. Fuck, no wonder the man had to use three fingers. Even relaxed as you were, you had to stretch to accomodate him... and the smallest movement of his hips had you moving back to meet him. 

He didn't give you much of a break; once he was seated fully inside you, Gladio began to _move_ : powerful, deep thrusts as he drove himself into you again and again. Burying himself as deep as you'd allow, your nails in his back drawing angry lines downward with each sinking stroke into you. "Months I waited for you," he ground out, his fucking picking up pace. "Nights spent remembering _you_ ," his mouth was back on your jaw, he'd missed your mouth but instead he let it slide to your neck, panting into your throat. "Missing this, missing us, missing you," each statement punctuated by a thrust. 

You were climbing again, your nails digging into his back as your whimpered in a silent plea. "Gladdy, please," your voice was a whine, your hips rising up to meet his each time he drove his cock hilt deep. Your nerves were beginning to fray, desperate for that last promised release.

"Come on, babe," he was going faster, panting as he drove in again and again. "One more, I know you got it in you, make it a good one. Babe-- one, fuck, one more--!"

You curled into him, suddenly clenching up around his cock as you found your release. You were pressing into him, almost like you were trying to pass through as his thrusts suddenly became jerky and uneven... then you felt it, that wash of warmth a handful of heartbeats after your own unraveling as he poured into you. 

Exhausted, you could do little but take deep gasping breaths from beneath him as he rolled onto his side to keep from smothering you. Even as he withdrew, you could feel that he hadn't gone completely soft and for a moment you wondered if this man intended to fuck you into obliviousness.

"You're not... you're not done," you murmured sleepily, curling into his side as he pressed you to his chest. His heart was pounding, but it was gradually beginning to slow, evening out. 

He chuckled, a deep and pleased sound even as he bent his head to gently press his lips to your temple. "No, but you are." He said quietly, softly. Your eyes must have drifted shut, because everything had gone dark and you were too tired to ask why.

"Mm. Gladio?"

"Yeah, babe." You felt him move the hair from your face, his hand stroking your shoulder as he squeezed you closer to him.

"How'd... we meet." You murmur sleepily. It had been the question eating at you since the hospital room, the tattoos waking something you'd thought long lost to the darkness of your lost memories.

Gladio laughed, and you remembered you loved the sound. It was enough to make a smile form on your exhausted face.

"At a bar. Playing darts." He bent down again, settling back into bed. You heard a click, and vaguely knew he'd turned the lights off. "You called me a cheating bastard because I scored higher than you."

"And were you?"

"No, but even after your third shot no one could convince you that your coordination took a dive." You felt him stroke your cheek, and for the first time you actually moved into the touch. "Sleep babe. I know you're exhausted."

You took a breath to argue, but sleep rolled you under before you could get the first word out.


	8. Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit an update. Also lowkey debating an Ignis fic but idk if there'd be interest lol

You felt your heart pounding, your eyes suddenly open as you took in the room. You were alone in bed, the blankets tangled around you while the door stood ajar on the other side of the room.

Where were you? And where was Gladio?

Tenatively, you crawled to the edge of the bed. It was dark, your vision hazy as you managed to bring yourself to your feet. You were tired, still so tired even as you shuffled to the door. "Gladio?" You called out, your voice weak and quiet in the gloom.

You could hear someone down the hall, but it felt like an age to get there. You could barely stand, supporting yourself on the wall as you stumbled towards the noise. "Gladiolus?"

The kitchen was brighter, but still dim. Someone, a woman, was standing at the sink with her back to you, working on dishes. You were in the doorway, barely standing as you clung to the doorway. "Hello?" You asked uncertainly, a hand stretching towards the woman's back.

If she heard you, she didn't react. You felt your brows draw together, confused about what was happening. There was a sound behind you in the hall, and you turned to see Gladio striding towards you in nothing but a towel bound around his waist. The water was still beading on his chest, his hair wet from the shower he must have just left.

"Ready to go?" The woman asked as he came in behind you, gliding past as if you weren't there. He walked right into her arms, and when you looked at her face your blood ran cold. 

There was nothing, no features, no marks. Just the shadow of her face as she reached for him. 

It was painful, watching him in her arms, wrapping them around her shoulders and drawing her closer into a kiss. His nose buried in her hair, her neck. It felt like something in your chest was gripped by a vise.

"I couldn't leave you alone," he said with a chuckle, tilting her face up into a kiss. You turned your face away, closing your eyes. Why did it feel like you were intruding? 

You blinked, Gladio suddenly going back to the bedroom behind you while the phantom woman stood watching him go. "You don't belong here," she said quietly, and when you turned she was suddenly there in front of her. "Imposter."

"I--"

"Hush, shhhh now." You still felt so weak, and it was all you could do to keep your grip on the door frame of the kitchen. She was threading her fingers into your hair at the base of your skull, yanking for a tight grip. 

Your eyes were wide, and the first tense brushes of fear wound themselves around your limbs. You felt like you were being weighed down, bound to this spot by the empty eyes of the faceless woman holding you so tightly. Her other hand slid up your chest, resting just over your heart as she smiled down at you.

"So, leave."

There was a burst of light, trees overhead as something punched you in the chest. It knocked the wind out of you, throwing you back. You were aware, briefly, that you weren't in the apartment anymore. Your back struck the ground, hard, rocks digging in as you tried to brace for the impact... though not before you head fell against something hard. You saw stars for a moment, blinking up as a shadow suddenly descended--

You woke up with a jerk and a gasp, breathless like you'd run miles. The room was dark, silent besides the breathing of the man beside you-- you turned too fast, Gladio shifting unconsciously in his sleep at your jerky movements. He was still asleep, an arm half around you and holding you close.

Sitting there, letting your breath settle, you leaned over him and stroked his face. Just another stupid nightmare, different this time. You didn't need a therapist to know it was the stress of coming... home. Was it really home? But the end of the dream... what had that been? A flash of light, a kick to the chest. 

You looked down at him again, and he turned his face into your touch. 

There was something comforting in that face, so completely relaxed in sleep. You leaned over him one more time, lips brushing his before you carefully slid out from his arm and from the bed. You couldn't find your clothes, but there was his muscle shirt.

You sat on the edge of the bed, his shirt in your hand as you turned and glanced at him again. Despite the anxiety the nightmare had brought, the fear still churning in your, when you looked at him it seemed to recede out into the ether.

You pulled his shirt over your head, sneaking out into the living room and running your fingers over the pictures. So many of them, memories captured in print right there before your eyes, and you couldn't remember a single one.

Without really knowing why you were doing it, you gathered them up one by one, stacking them neatly on the coffee table before sitting on the couch. You were taking the frames apart, sliding the pictures out so you could hold them closer, like the secret behind absorbing their secrets was hidden in the ink on the page.

The frames were tucked away on a corner of the table, the photos splayed across the surface. Lined up, shuffled, moved around as you bent over them. Looking in at a face you _knew_ was yours, joyful and happy, and feeling... nothing, nothing but that bleak, empty void. 

"I must be losing my touch,"

You jumped like you'd been struck, blinking up at shadowy outline of Gladio as he stood framed in the dim light of the hallway. You couldn't know how long he was watching you, leaning against the wall with his arms folded over his naked chest. He'd had more success finding pants, atleast, as he walked over towards you in a set of grey sweats.

"What?" You murmured, sitting up. You half-heartedly tried to gather the pictures together, a child hiding something incriminating when their parent opened the door.

"Usually I can get you to sleep til noon when we go a few rounds," he answered, chuckling as he sat beside you on the couch. He was careful to give you space, waiting until you moved in beside him before he put his arm around you, bending down to kiss your shoulder softly. 

You sat quietly, curled in his arms and clutching at the photos in your hand. For a long time the two of you just remained in silence, one of his hands stroking your back while the other held your head close. It was nice, relaxing just to listen to his breathing, and if he'd stayed silent there was a good chance you would have fallen alseep like that in his arms on the couch.

"You going to tell me about the pictures?" He asked quietly, and you could feel his voice rumbling in his chest despite the tenderness of his voice. 

"I was trying to remember them," you answer after a moment of thought, rolling your eyes up to look at his face. "I feel like..."

_An Imposter._

"You could ask me," he responded, stopping the gentle stroke of your hair to look down at your face. You were looking up at him, the idea honestly never occuring to you until he'd suggested it. It felt... it felt like cheating, like you should have known the answers to this test, and it was a small betrayal to him that you couldn't. 

"I should remember them myself," your words were bleak, your voice quiet with the shame of admitting your weakeness. Like you weren't trying hard enough.

"Bullshit." The word came out like a crack, but it wasn't angry. "These weren't just your memories," he took the pictures from your hand, holding them up like damning evidence. "They're mine too. So let me fill in the gaps. Please?"

Maybe it was the please that did it, the way his face was suddenly tense. His forehead creased with concentration, willing you to accept his help this time. You sat there, his arm around you, reaching for his face as you pulled him closer to yours. "Yes," you finally murmur, soft against his mouth. 

He leaned into the kiss, letting the photos fall from his hand as he reached up to cup your face. They fluttered down around you like leaves, scattering to the floor. "Good. Now lets go back to bed."


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit an update the the fuck is this  
> *ninja vanish*

Waking up the second time was a far more gentle affair the morning after; it was slow, and calm, your eyes opening and blinking past the light bleeding into the room from the curtains as the sun rose. 

You were tucked under one of Gladio's arms. His hand had unconsciously hiked up the shirt you were wearing in the night, his fingers splayed across your stomach while your legs tangled around his as you curled into him. The steadiness of his breathing, the constant thrum of his heart had lulled you into the deepest sleep you'd had in a long time. 

You didn't want to move, safe and comfortable there under his arm, so you stayed tucked into his side just watching him sleep. Without really noticing, you reached up to trace the head of the hawk drawn there on his chest. The griffin hadn't visited you in your dreams, not the last few times, and you wondered if it had just been your brain's way of trying to remember Gladiolus.

"Having fun?" He asked with a chuckle, and you jumped like something had stung you. You glanced up, blinking at him in surprise as he grinned back at you. He gave you a squeeze, rolling over so he pinned you to the bed.

You were extremely aware that all you were wearing was one of his old shirts, and even that was hiked up around your waist. He seemed entirely too pleased with the arrangement, flexing his hips and drawing a muffled whine from your lips as he bent over you to nuzzle at your neck.

"You make this hard," you heard him murmur in your neck, and you weren't sure if he was being serious or if it was some kind of euphemism for the way he had you pinned to the bed. You chuckled, angling your head so you could brush your lips against his temple as you brought your knees up around his waist. He pushed a bit more firmly against you, a shameless grind that had you gasping as he rose up to capture your lips in another searing kiss. "Go back to sleep babe, its early. I'm going to grab a shower."

His words were answered with your own frustrated whine, and you were tempted to cling to the man all the same even as he began to disentangle himself from you. "I could go with you," you finally said, breathless as he pushed you back to the bed. It was enough to make him hesitate as he loomed over you, caging your beneath him as he met your gaze with his own heated eyes. 

"You're relentless," Gladio answered with a husky chuckle, leaning in one last time and pressing a kiss to your jaw. You tried to chase him, catch his mouth to draw him back in but he pulled away with a smirk. "You were wandering around last night. Catch more sleep while you can." He stood up as you threw yourself back with a mock pout while he drew the blanket back up over you. "I promise I'll wear you out again tonight."

"I'll hold you to that," you muttered as you rolled over, gathering up the blanket and the pillow he'd used and drawing in a deep breath. It smelled like him, like wilderness and leather and sunlight, and before you realized it you found yourself drifting. 

"Atta girl," Gladio murmured again, reaching down to stroke your shoulder. Your eyes were already closing, and he brushed the hair from your face. "I'm not gonna leave you again. I'm just next door..." The way he'd spoken, the words, they felt odd. There was a different tone to them, like they meant something different than what the initial context presented. 

But that, _that_ was a conundrum for a different time. Right now you were tired, sleep clawing up at you as your brain went numb and quiet. 

It was dark and cool in the apartment when you got up again. How long had you slept? Throwing your legs over the side of the bed you stood up, looking down at the thick jeans you wore tucked into heavy boots. You brought your hands up, running your fingers over the material of the canvas-like button up shirt that seemed a bit too snug to be comfortable... but even as you went to undo a few of the fastenings you hesitated, a twinge at the back of your mind reminding you that this was armored for work. 

You chased the thought. What work? You felt someone staring at you, burning holes in your back as you turned towards the bed to see what was glaring so forcefully. But as you moved, the room was suddenly painfully bright, loud with the sound of cicadas and summer insects buzzing in the savannha heat. It was disorienting, moreso when your eyes caught on the faceless woman standing just ten feet behind you.

She was a perfect mirror down to the shoes, minus the smooth, expression- and featureless face that seemed to reside in a blackhole of shadows despite the bright sunlight. You weren't in your room now, but outside the city. You were on the plains, and it was the height and heat of summer.

"What's going on?" You managed to choke out, taking a step back and away from her. This was.. this was disorienting, and you found your head swimming with dizziness. The spectre stayed silent, staring from a void-like face before she raised her hand to point behind you. 

"You know better than to show your back." It said simply. Did it talk? Or was it something you just heard in your head.

Before you could think harder on it, you felt movement behind you. Rustling, and someone shouted your name as you suddenly jerked around as you threw your arm up to block--

Again, you flinched awake, safe in bed. It was just as bright as it had been when Gladio had put you back to sleep. You were still wearing his oversized shirt, the blankets kicked free as you breathed hard into the pillow you'd been clutching to yourself in your sleep. Another nightmare, right on the heels of the first the night before, left your head fogged and aching as you pushed yourself up from the bed. 

Maybe a shower would clear it up, help to bring you back down after feeling so... out of place. 

You stumbled to the closet the two of you shared, opening the door and stepping inside to grab some clothes before you hit the shower. You flipped on the light, turning towards your side but hesitating when you saw a box tucked in the back behind some of your clothes. 

It had your name written on the side, big bold letters against the cardboard side that wasn't any of your handwriting. It was sealed up with tape, almost bound in it to the point you'd need a knife to slit open the covers to see what was inside. Your fingers skated along the plastic-like material keeping you from its contents, the nightmares falling away and being replaced by this suddenly almost irrestible curious urge to rip the box apart to get at whatever was inside. 

"Babe?" 

You jumped when you heard Gladio in the bedroom, and like a kid hiding some surprise gifts you slid the clothes over the box like you hadn't seen it at all. You grabbed a few things off the hangers, not really looking but rather to keep yourself from reentering the bedroom empty-handed. "In here," you called back, coming out of the door as he was already halfway across the room.

"I was wondering if you'd sleep all day," Gladio teased, his hands going around your waist as he pulled you close. One arm had you pinned to his front, his free hand coming up to your chin as he tilted your head back for a kiss. "Dunno why you're getting clothes. I'd rather see you out of them." He chuckled, and you couldn't help but smile up at him. His very presence was soothing, shielded in his arms and for just a moment it was easy to forget that the world was lopsided and fractured.

"Because I need a shower," you murmured into his lips as he leaned down, before gently pushing away. The man was too distracting, and if you let him he would have drawn you away from being productive and into him. 

He let you go, but now before his hand slid down to squeeze your rump with a chuckle. "Fine," he shook his head, still teasing as he followed you to the bathroom. He'd grabbed you a towel on the way, passing it through the door as you turned to close it. "I've gotta... I have to be somewhere. But I called someone to keep you company."

"Why can't I go with you?" You stopped, opening the door to look up at him with a curious cant to your head. 

Gladio leaned in the door frame, smiling down at you though the look in his eyes changed. You couldn't quite put your finger on it, but before you could ask about it he stood up and chuckled. "Take your shower before he gets here, or I can just lock us in the bedroom again."

That was odd. You frowned after him, brows drawn together before you shrugged, turning the water on and stripping down. He was acting off, and you trusted your instincts enough to know that the usually straightforward Gladio was up to something. Before you could give it much more thought, you heard the frontdoor and Glad's muffled voice greeting someone.

Looks like your babysitter had arrived sooner than expected. The fact that he didn't want to leave you alone just raised your suspicion more, but that was a conversation saved for later. 

You rushed the rest of your shower as much as you could, all but jumping out and hurriedly changing into the clothes you'd grabbed from the closet. You could still here them talking, low muffled muted sounds as you hung up the damp towel and threw Gladio's wrinkled muscleshirt into the wash. You didn't even know why you were rushing, but in the back of your mind you were hoping to catch some of the conversation before they had a chance to change the subject when you came out.

As quietly as you could you made your way down the hall, towards the living room and the door.

"-- going to be back?"

"A few hours, probably." Gladio was speaking quietly, and for a split second you wondered if he knew you were coming.

"I dunno about this, big guy." The closer you got, the better your recognized the voice. Prompto, who'd come to visit you in the hospital so much. He had album after album of pictures, snapshots of the history you'd lost. His visits quickly became your favorite, and he even let you keep some of the images safely tucked into your little sparrow notebook. "This doesn't seem fair to her."

You stayed just a few feet around and behind the corner, straining your ears. You'd been right, he _was_ up to something.

"I know its not," Gladio answered after a moment, and you could hear it in his voice that he was rubbing his face with his hands. "But I can't let it happen again. It came really close, and I don't... I'm not going to let her get hurt again. She'll thank me."

"She can't thank you if she _doesn't know_ ," Prompto muttered at him, and you knew he was shaking his head. "She's a big girl. You gotta let her make that choice herself."

"I'm protecting her from making the wrong one."

"Now you're just being stubborn and taking advantage of the mess." Prompto sighed, and you heard the creaking of the couch. He must have been leaning back.

"I'll tell her when she's ready to hear it." Gladio grumbled. He sounded annoyed now, probably with Prompto disagreeing with him. 

"I don't think you will." Prompto shot back, before he quickly backpedalled. The bigger man must have glared daggers at him. "I'm just sayin', if you keep trying to baby her you'll always find an excuse not to tell her. You're blind when it comes to her man. Always have been, always will be."

Gladio was quiet for a bit, and you fought the urge to peek around the corner. You could feel the sinking feeling in your stomach, and for a moment you wondered what the shit was going on. Why all this pussyfooting around? Tiptoeing like you were a bomb on the verge of going off. 

_Why didn't anyone just tell you what was going on?_

"She's been alittle too quiet back there." You felt the color drain from your face as you heard Gladio stand up and start walking towards the corner you were hiding behind. You scrambled back a few steps as quietly as you could manage, trying to feign like you were just leaving your shared bedroom and closing the door behind you for good measure just as he was rounding the corner.

"S-sorry," you stammered, face going red as your half-pretended to be embarassed. You had a split second to know if you'd managed to fool him, and as he looked down at you with a grin you knew you'd been successful. 

"C'mon babe, Prompto's waiting for you." You smiled up at him, feeling the hammering in your heart start to fade as he wrapped an arm around your shoulder and you put one around his waist. 

"Prompto huh?" You chuckled as you came around the corner, face lighting up as you saw the smaller man leaning against the wall beside the window. He raised up a hand to wave, smiling bright and wide as you pulled away from Gladio to drag him into a hug. "I missed you," you murmured to him as you squeezed. 

He was laughing, returning your hug and pulling back as he shook his head. "Its been what, a week?"

"A week's a long time when you only have a few months to draw from." You shot back, smirking. It really did feel good to see him. It felt... it felt nice to have someone else in your corner. 

"I'll be back in a few hours," Gladio said from the door, pulling on his leather jacket. He had one hand on the front door, smiling at you. It was genuine, happy to see you happy from something as simple as seeing a friend. "Stay out of trouble. Remember what the doc said."

"Yeah yeah," Prompto answered for you, waving Gladio away. "Don't worry. We've got terrible movies and worse food to get through. Months of TV to catch up. Maybe some games."

You chuckled, going to Gladio one last time and giving the man a quick peck on the cheek. "Stay safe," you murmured into his ear, and he wrapped one arm around your waist before giving you a quick squeeze.

"Always, babe." You watched him go from the door of your shared apartment, walking towards the elevator before he disappeared around the corner. When you came back into the living room, Prompto was perched at the window watching. 

"What're you doing?"

"Waiting for your boyfriend to leave the building," Prompto answered with a stage whisper, grinning.

"Why?"

"Because," he turned to you, eyes glinting with mischief. "We're going on an _adventure_ , and I told him we'd stay in the apartment. Aren't you bored being cooped up?"

Yes. Yes, you were. You didn't even have to say the words, before Prompto was already jogging to the closet, grabbing a coat for you.

"Good, lets blow this joint."


End file.
